Twelve Weeks of You

Week Twelve

Week Twelve

It has been a long while since Aarav heard his heart go thud-thud. It didn't talk much to him anymore, mostly because Aarav wouldn't listen, but now it was speaking and if Aarav spoke the words of his heart, it would come out as a distinct thud. The morning sun was soft, the monsoon had left leaving in its space the wake of the coming autumn. And he knew, he was the first one who was going to shed this season.

His fingers felt sticky lately, like the kind they get after you touch a moist jam of jar or an even messier heart. He had finally taken them out and had washed it clean. His pink lips itched for nicotine but he didn't pacify it. The sunrise today was subtle, clouds still blushing from what they said. The guard outside the girl's hostel eyed him suspiciously and he grinned back till her face glared at him.

He took a few steps ahead, he was feeling too philanthropic today, he could spare the guard a few moments of a glare-free morning.

He looked at his watch, it was 5:32 A.M. and he knew it would be any minute now. He stood staring at the sky, trying to decipher what his heart was saying when it went thud thud. Maybe he could use some of its words, once he understood it. A shadow passed by him and before he could turn, he saw the girl holding his heart jog past him as if he wasn't absurdly standing outside in the morning waiting for her alone. He couldn't help but laugh and maybe, fall in love a bit more.

He jogged up behind her, trying to keep up with her anger. The winds were merciful today and they kept sweeping the sweat that was forming. "Shouldn't you be doing your pre-match ritual?" She finally acknowledged, but her legs didn't stop. "I couldn't begin it until I talked to you."He answered and for a second he was scared with how true his words had felt.

The heart went thud thud in response.

Samira scoffed, her ponytail flying from one side to another. "Spare me your honey-dipped words, it's too early for me to digest it. Maybe Abhishiri has the metabolism for all this, but not me." Her jog was smooth, the morning birds and her determined freckles disturbing his train of thought.

"I need to talk to you Samira."Aarav found himself pleading, as the morning breeze cooled his head. His heart was becoming hotter by the minute. Samira shook her head no, as she exhaled loudly. "I can't get into this with you today, you have your match, you should focus on that."She picked up her pace, trying to outrun him.

But he wasn't going to falter now if he was running after a girl he was going to catch up to her.

He picked up his pace too and soon, overtook her by coming in front of her to stop her. The trees around them had just woken up too and they hummed at the two humans on the track. Sweat trickled down her forehead catching bits of sun rays, her face pinker than usual. Her eyes were angry as she huffed, catching her breath.

"Samira you were right that day." He started, not waiting for his breath to pace itself. He needed to start now or he would never finish. There was no ounce of satisfaction on her face when he admitted she was right. It made him nervous and then there was the thud thud in his heart.

"You were right about me being caught up in something that was no longer important and ignoring things around me. "He started to speak, begging his heart to join in. She was intently looking at him, hearing his words.

Aarav gulped and now his breath was leaving him. "I was ignoring the most important thing around me."He spoke and stopped mid-sentence. His body trembled with the newfound liberation he was feeling. Just like the one you have after a perfect shot. "My feelings for you." He whispered, looking at her.

Her face was confused and she looked taken back.

He was taken back too. His heart had finally spoken up.